How to Replace the Heater Hoses in a Ford Mustang

The heater hoses in your Ford Mustang direct coolant from the heater core to your car's interior to keep it warm. These hoses wear down after excessive use, so you need to examine and replace them occasionally. Compared to other do-it-yourself repair and maintenance jobs, it's an easy task.

Instructions

1

Locate the heater hoses on your Mustang. On most Mustang models, one heater hose runs up to the thermostat housing intake and the other hose runs to the heater core. Measure the old hoses before buying replacements. Some models use two different size heater hoses.

2

Shut off the Mustang's engine and then examine the heater hoses for tears and leaks. Look for mushy or brittle rubber and worn out clamps. Look for telltale bulges in the middle of hoses. If your heater hoses are swollen they can rupture and you need to replace them immediately.

3

Eliminate the coolant in the radiator by loosening the radiator petcock. Drain it completely before taking off the old heater hoses. Keep a bucket underneath to catch any spills and then seal the excess in a closed container.

4

Take off the clamps that connect the hoses to the heating tubes. Use a heater hose removal device, a screwdriver or pliers to do this. Use a razor blade to slit the old hose from the end to just above the heater tube. Then turn or pull the Mustang hoses to loosen and remove them.

5

Use a gasket sealer to seal the gaskets. Make sure the clamp fittings are clean and then attach the new heater hoses by sliding the clamps over to the end of the hose.

6

Pour coolant in the radiator and maintain a level halfway between full and low at all times to ensure that the cooling system has enough fluid to keep it running properly.

7

Turn off the engine and check for leaks underneath the vehicle and at the heater hose connections. If you don't see any, recheck the coolant level, replace the reservoir cap and close the hood of your Mustang.